Computer networks like the Internet can be used to provide a variety of content in response to user and other requests for the content over a complex system of interconnecting content sources dispersed over widespread geographic locations. The complexity of such networks, combined with an explosive volume of information being made available, has resulted in the development of techniques and systems that are designed to address the management of network and server traffic made up of such requests.
In order to provide for effective delivery of Internet content in response to user requests, content may be simultaneously stored by multiple content servers dispersed throughout the network. Conventional methods and systems exist to direct user requests for the content or other data to the most effective server for providing the content from among the available alternative servers that are each capable of delivering the requested content. One reason for the existence of these methods and systems is that network topologies change on a regular basis. New network nodes can be added, removed and changed, etc., potentially impacting the availability or desirability of a particular communications path. Also, the desirability of any communications path may be changed as a factor of the volume of requests being directed to a particular server or over a network node at any time. For example, public events may cause the content stored on a particular content source to be in great demand thereby increasing the volume of requests directed to the source and the volume of communications handled by the network facilities connected to that source. Other factors, such as time zone changes, other traffic and workload factors, etc. may also impact any content source and/or its related network facilities' response times.
Certain conventional network devices are designed to direct requests for content concurrently to multiple locations. An attempt is made to reduce the time element for requests to travel from the requesting network device to the content sources. When the requests are received by the multiple content sources to which they were directed, the content is sent from the multiple content sources to the client originating the request. The requesting client, accordingly accepts the communication which arrives first and ignores the later transmissions.